EPA West Coast Collaborative announces more than $2 million in grants to reduce harmful diesel emissions in western states and Pacific Island territories

(San Francisco / Seattle) December 19, 2013 – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced over $2.2 million in Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA) grants to partners along the West Coast and Pacific Island Territories. The 14 grants are administered through the West Coast Collaborative, an EPA Region 9 and Region 10 public-private partnership aimed at reducing diesel emissions and leveraging an additional $6 million from public, private and nonprofit partners.

The EPA-funded projects will clean up 93 medium- and heavy-duty diesel engines, and reduce over 262 tons of nitrogen oxides (NOx), 16 tons of particulate matter (PM) and 8,317 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) over the life of the projects.

“Public-private partnerships like the West Coast Collaborative continue to advance emission reductions,” said Jared Blumenfeld, Regional Administrator for EPA’s Pacific Southwest Office. “By promoting clean diesel technologies, we can save lives locally and play a leadership role on climate change globally.”

Investments in diesel emission reductions lead to significant public health benefits. Every dollar invested in clean diesel projects generates between $7 and $18 in public health benefits. Leveraging federal resources with the private sector helps achieve even greater benefits.

In addition to the important health benefits of reducing emissions from diesel engines, there are also climate change co-benefits. Black carbon, found in the particulate matter emitted from diesel engines influences climate by directly absorbing light, reducing the reflectivity (“albedo”) of snow and ice through deposition, and interacting with clouds. More information about black carbon can be found on the EPA website at http://www.epa.gov/blackcarbon.

South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) received $391,613 to replace older diesel school buses with fully electric and compressed natural gas (CNG) powered school buses in the South Coast air basin.